Pump



A. P. J. VOIGT Nov. 21, 1933.

PUMP

Filed Dec. 5, 1932 7 a 8 3 I a 9 m E M W L A7. 0 2 H a 4) 3 Gum/MW A lbert PvJ- l oigt Patented Nov. 21, 1933 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in pumps and more particularly to rotary pumps such as are employed in dredges and the like. Although this invention is capable of general application, it will be illustrated and described herein as adapted for use on dredges wherein it is necessary to handle liquid having therein earth, rocks, grass and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a pump which is particularly adapted to pump liquids containing earth and gravel therein, and adapted to operate where grass and sticks and large rocks are drawn in withthe liquid and tend to clog the same. r

I desire to so construct the impeller of the Y pump that it'rnay clear itself of material tending to clog it and to exert a maximum of power tending tocause the flow of the mud-laden liquid therethrough. a V

I also desire to so construct the pump that it will be easily balanced in action so that there will be a minimum of vibration in its operation.

I also desire to provide means whereby the bearings supporting the pump shaft will be main- 26 being pumped.

' The invention generally lies in theparticular construction of the rotary andstationary portions of my pump whereb'yaneflective and durable type of pump is obtained.

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a broken side view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the suction pipe of a dredge having my pump employed therein.

Fig. 2 is a broken detail taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

"Fig. 3 is a transverse'section taken on the plane 3-3 of Fi 1. e I

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the impeller removed. V

Fig. 5 is; a view similar to that in Fig. 4, but taken at right angles thereto.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the plane 6-6of Fig. 4. r 1

In the drawing I have shown my pump as installed upontheintake pipe of a dredge apparatus such as is shownin my copending application No. 503,362, filed December 19, 1930.

In this construction there is a flow pipe 1 having connection through the pump chamber 2 with the intake pipe 3 through which the mud and other material may be drawn into the flow line. This pipe and housing are supported upon asocalled ladder comprising longitudinally extending supporting beams 4. 7

tained free of mud and grit from the material The intake pipe is of smaller diameter than the pump housing 2 and is detachably' connected therewith by telescoping within the reduced forward end 5 of the housing and having a clamping plate 6 formed to fit slidably over the forward end 5 and to include a packing member 7 therein which may be compressed to provide a fluid tight seal by means of bolts 8 extending through the outer flange of the clamping member and con,- necting through a flange 9 upon the housing. On 5 the lower side of the intake pipe 3 is a downwardly extending armor plate 10 rigidly secured to the pipe and adapted to receive a bolt 11 connected at 12 to a downward extension on the flange 9. This arrangement secures the pipe 3 in a telescoping engagement with the pump housing during use.

. The pump housing 2 is cylindrical in shape and of larger diameter than is the intake pipe. On the inner face of the housing are fixed a plurality of stationary blades 13 shown best in Fig. 3. These blades extend radially inward from the walls of the housing. I have shown four such blades. They are arranged spirally along the housing and serve as bafiles against which the so liquid is drawn by the impeller and forced inwardly toward the flow line.

The impeller is shown best in Figs. 4 and 5. This has a forward ring 14 and a hub 15 spaced rearwardly from the ring. The said ring and hub 5 are connected by the spirally arranged blades 16. At the point where the blades connect with the ring 14, I have formed a web 17 which is widest adjacent the ring and tapers rearwardly to a point spaced from the inner end of the 7 blade. This web is indicated in Fig. 6 and it will be seen that it is rounded to conform to the curvature of the ring 14. The blades 16 are two in number and are spiraled rearwardly and connected with the outer surface of the member 15. This impeller is to be noted as being wide openon its forward side to allow free entrance of material to each blade. The rotation of the impeller will throw the liquid outwardly and forwardly and, together with the stationary blades 13, will cause a suction tending to force the liquid inwardly toward the flow line 1. The webs 17 at each of the blades are acted upon by the liquid contacting with the stationary blades to hold the rotating impeller centrally in the housing, thereby overcoming any tendency to lateral vibration. I find, therefore, that when the impeller is thus constructed it assumes a floating position centrally of the housing without material vibration.

The hub 15 has a central threaded socket to receive the drive shaft 18. rearwardly through the wall 19 of the inclined section 20 of the how line. Said section 20 is of the full diameter of the pump housing at its forward end and is connected with the housing by bolts 21, extending through marginal flanges in the pump housing, and the pipe section. This section tapers rearwardly and is reduced in diameter to that of the flow line 1.

The dri e shaft 18 is supported within a bearing 22 which is preferably of rubber. Said bearing sleeve is supported in atubular barrel or housing 23 which extends rearwardly through the side wall 19 of the pipe section 20. It is surrounded at the point where it passes through the wall of said pipe by an extension or sleeve 24 welded integrally to said pipe and having a stuffing box 25 around the housing 23 to provide a seal therewith. Thus it will be seen that the shaft housing 23 may be removed outwardly through the stuffing box when occasion requires.

The housing 23 is supported adjacent the bearing for the pump by an inwardly extending lug 26 on the wall of the pipe section 20. As seen in Fig. 2 this lug or post is beveled off at its forward end to form a stream line arrangement whereby it will not easily obstruct the passage of material-through the pipe. The forward lug has a bolt 27 extending radially inward and conto elevate it high above the dredge.

nected with acollar 28 which surrounds the end of the housing 23 and holds it in fixed position. It will-be seen, however, that this support may be loosened by removing the nut from the outer end of the bolt when the housing has been Withdrawn. f

The outer end of the housing about the shaft "is formed with a stuffing box 30 within which the said shaft is rotatable. Adjacent the end of the housing and forwardly from the stuffing box, I connect a pipe 37 through which liquid under pressure may be forced into the housing. Said liquid will tend to be forced forwardly around the bearing 22 and against the pressure of the liquid being pumped so as to prevent the flow of mud and abrasive material inwardly around the shaft 18 during rotation. This liquid may be clear .water or may be of some lubricating composition as desired. The shaft 18 may be supported in other tubular housings 34 along the length thereof as desired. The coupling members 35 in said shaft are shown as arranged between the housing members.

My pump constructed as shown and described, is now in use and is found to be very effective for the reasons previously set out. The impeller which must take up the shock of foreign objects carried by the incoming liquid ordinarily is easily broken. My impeller has a reinforced ring 14 'at its forward. end which has a bearing within the forward reduced end of the housing. This leaves an opening into'the impeller of practically the full diameter of the intake pipe. The arrangement of the rearwardlytapered webs 1'7 provides a wall or baffle against which the liquid in the housing adjacent the stationary blades maycontact tending thus to balance the impeller in its rotation so that it is practically free of vibration. This adds materially to the life of the impeller and assists in keeping it free of material tending to clog the same.

A strong force is exerted against the liquid and I am enabled by a pump of this character to carry the mud and slush for longdistances and It is particularly smooth in its operation and wears for comprising an annular frame member at its for- This shaft extends long periods and has been found to rarely clog in use. The advantages of this construction will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. A rotary pump structure including a housing, an intake thereto of smaller diameter than said housing, stationary guide blades in said housing, a rotary impeller centrally of said housing ward end fitting within said intake, a hub spaced 'rearwardly therefrom, spirally arranged blades connected with said ring and said hub, and means to communicate rotation to said impeller.

2. A rotary pump structure including a housing, an intake thereto of smaller diameter than said housing, stationary guide blades in said housing, a rotary impeller centrally of said housing comprising an annular frame member at its forward end fitting within said intake, a hub spaced rearwardly therefrom, spirally arranged blades connected with said ring and said hub, webs of metal connected with said ring at their forward ends and tapering in width rearwardly and secured to said blades, and means to com municate rotation to said impeller.

3. A rotary pump structure including a housing, an intake thereto of smaller diameter than said housing, stationary. guide blades in said housing, a rotary impeller centrally of said housing comprising an annular frame member at its forward end fitting within said intake, a hub spaced rearwardly therefrom, spirally arranged blades connected with said ring and said hub, means on said blades connected with said ringto balance said impeller during operation, and means to communicate rotation to said impeller.

4. A rotary pump structure including a housing, an intake thereto, spirally mounted stationary blades on the inside of said housing, a rotary impeller of approximately cylindrical outline including a forward ring, a hub spaced;-. rearwardly therefrom, spirally arranged blades connected to said ring and said hub, arcuate webs of metal connected with said ring 7 and blades inform a baffle acted upon by the fluid being pumped to balance said impeller in operation, and a shaft connected with said hub whereby said impeller can be rotated.

5. A dredge pump including a housing, an intake pipe connected with the forward end thereof, a downwardly inclined flow pipeconnected with the rearward end thereof, stationary, spirally arranged guide blades in said housing, an impeller in said housing, means to reenforce the forward end of said impeller, rearwardly tapered circumferentially arranged webs on said impeller to balance the same, a shaft connected with said impeller and extending through the wall of said flow pipe, and a supporting bearing for said shaft adjacent said impeller.

6. A dredge pump including a housing, an intake pipe connected with the forward end thereof, a downwardly inclined flow pipe section connected with the rearward end thereof, stationary, spirally arranged guide plates in said housing, an impeller in said housing, means to reenforce the forward end of said impeller, a hub at the rearward end of said impeller, an operating shaft connected with said hub and extending through the inclined wall of said flow pipe and arranged above and parallel with the body of said flow pipe, means to seal about said shaft in said wall, a bearing supporting the forward end of said shaft, and removable means in said inclined flow pipe section to support said bearing.

7. A dredge pump including a housing, an intake pipe connected with the forward end thereof, a downwardly inclined flow pipe section connected with the rearward end thereof, stationary, spirally arranged guide blades in said housing, an impeller in said housing, means to reenforce the forward end of said impeller, an operating shaft extending through the wall of said flow pipe and connected with said impeller, a tubular housing about said shaft and projecting outside said flow pipe, a stufling box in said tubular housing about said shaft, and 'a removable support for said housing in said section ad- Jacent the forward end.

8. A rotary pump including a pump housing, an intake at the upstream end thereof, a flow pipe section at the downstream endthereof, a plurality of stationary blades on the interior wall of said pump housing, an impeller in said housing rotatable centrally thereof, a shaft connected with said impeller and extending outwardly through the wall of said flow pipe section, a tubular housing about said shaft extending from said flow pipe and having a fluid seal therewith, means to seal the outer end of said tubular housing about said shaft, a removable support for the forward end 'of said housing, andmeans to exert a fluid pressure within said housing.

9. A rotary pump including a pump housing, an intake at the upstream end thereof, a flow pipe at the downstream end thereof, a plurality of stationary blades on the interior wall of said pump housing, an impeller in said housing rotatable centrally thereof, a shaft connected with said impeller and extending outwardly through thewall of said flow pipe, a tubular housing about said shaft extending from said flow pipe and having a fluid seal therewith, means to seal the outer end of said tubular housing about said shaft, a removable support for the forward end of said housing, a rubber bearing sleeve about said shaft, and a fluid conducting pipe connected with said tubular shaft housing to conduct pressure fluid to said bearing.

ALBERT P. J. VOIGT, 

